Enterprise
Microsoft wins the right to acquire Activision Blizzard
The UK is its last hurdle
Microsoft’s national nightmare is over. After a length deliberation in court, Microsoft has successfully defended its case against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). At least in the United States, the company is now free to pursue its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard.
For weeks, Microsoft found itself in the courtroom in a tenacious defense against the FTC’s case. According to the FTC, the company’s deal to acquire Activision Blizzard goes against the spirit of competition in the gaming industry. Today, California Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled out the FTC’s preliminary injunction request. Microsoft is free to complete the deal.
1/We're grateful to the court for swiftly deciding in our favor. The evidence showed the Activision Blizzard deal is good for the industry and the FTC’s claims about console switching, multi-game subscription services, and cloud don’t reflect the realities of the gaming market.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 11, 2023
Contrary to the FTC’s claims, the court found that the deal actually fostered competition. However, it still emphasizes the importance of questioning such mergers especially at this caliber. According to the judge’s statement, the court’s investigations laid bare some practices that ultimately helps the industry. For example, it’s now known that Activision penned deals with Sony and Nintendo for rights to the Call of Duty franchise on their respective platforms for at least ten years.
Besides the arguably beneficial results of the investigations, other juicy tidbits also emerged during the trial. For example, Microsoft, wittingly or unwittingly, spoiled some details about Sony’s future consoles. Sony, for its part, also retaliated by saying that the Xbox was good only because of the Call of Duty franchise.
Now, though Microsoft’s American tribulations are over, the company is still facing some scrutiny across the Atlantic. The United Kingdom is also seeking to block the deal from closing. The European, which also sought after the company, already gave a go signal for the deal.
SEE ALSO: A PlayStation 5 Slim might launch this year, Microsoft says
Enterprise
New US-China ban might affect 75% of phones, laptops
Companies can no longer use Chinese labs to test their products.
The United States is continuing its crusade against Chinese technology today. However, the target now isn’t a company from China but a method important to a lot of non-Chinese brands.
Today, via Reuters, the Federal Communications Commission (or FCC) has unanimously voted to prohibit companies from using Chinese labs to test their electronic devices if they are to be sold for use in the United States. Naturally, this includes smartphones and computers.
Notably, the prohibition doesn’t directly target Chinese brands. However, it will still affect a huge swath of the industry. The FCC estimates that around 75 percent of the entire market are devices tested in labs based in China.
This means that companies who wish to sell future products in the country must move their testing to labs in the United States or other countries that it deems secure. At its current iteration, the prohibition will not affect devices that already earned their certification prior. However, it might prevent them from getting recertified once their current one expires.
Now, the prohibition isn’t an absolute lock just yet. The FCC will allow the industry to submit comments about the proposal. But, with a unanimous vote from the FCC, companies might have to start looking for alternative testing sites if they want to stay operation in the United States.
Enterprise
OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme
Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.
OnePlus has a problem. For a while now, rumors have swirled about the company’s dissolution. For their part, the company has continued to deny the reports, citing business as usual. Likely to their dismay, the reports just keep coming. Today, sources have hinted that OnePlus has merged with realme.
Back in January, it was rumored that OnePlus would be closing up shop this year. Since the company very quickly denied the rumors, the report hardly made waves. However, a suspected merger with realme is more difficult to debunk.
For one, realme is itself in a very interesting position. Also back in January, realme was reportedly moving back into being a sub-brand of OPPO. Coupled together with the OnePlus debacle, all this internal restructuring seems par for the course.
According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, OnePlus and realme have already concluded the merger. The two brands have reportedly united their Chinese and international operations under one roof. Likewise, their marketing will be the same. Pete Lau will still be the main head for this new division.
As with anything of this nature, take this with a grain of salt. OPPO, OnePlus, and realme have not issued any official statements concerning a merger or a shutdown for any brand.
SEE ALSO: realme is reportedly going back to being an OPPO sub-brand
Enterprise
AGIBOT is turning robots into companions for our everyday routines
The era of robots performing cool tricks is over!
The era of robots performing “cool tricks” is over.
At its 2026 Partner Conference, AGIBOT moved embodied AI out of the lab and into the real world.
y using a “One Robotic Body, Three Intelligences” architecture, the company launched five new robot platforms and eight AI models to make physical AI a normal part of how we live and work.
Engineering for human environments
AGIBOT believes that for a robot to be a good partner, it first needs a body you can actually rely on.
Take the AGIBOT A3, for example. This 173 cm tall humanoid weighs 55 kg, about the same as a teenager. It uses a magnesium and titanium build to stay strong yet light.
It moves smoothly for 10 hours straight, and if the battery runs low, you can swap it out in just 10 seconds to keep the momentum of your day going.
In the workplace, the AGIBOT G2 Air acts as a single-arm helper that works right alongside people. It navigates narrow doorways and tight office spaces with ease.
This robot actually learns while it works; it records its environment and actions in real-time to help its AI get smarter every single day.
Then there is the D2 Max, the world’s first Level 3 autonomous four-legged robot. It isn’t a toy you control with a remote; it is a partner that explores tough terrain and handles security patrols entirely on its own.
Finally, the OmniHand 3 series brings a human-like touch to these machines. The flagship Ultra-T model mimics almost any hand movement, while the OmniPicker 3 and OmniHand 3 Lite handle the heavy-duty, high-impact jobs that require extra muscle.
8 models driving autonomy
The “brain” of these machines is a closed-loop system that helps them move, think, and talk.
To master movement, the Behavioral Foundation Model (BFM) allows a robot to copy human actions just by watching a short video.
Another model, the GCFM, lets the robot react to your voice or actions in real-time, which makes its movements feel natural instead of stiff.
To tackle complex tasks, AGIBOT uses a massive dataset called AGIBOT WORLD 2026, a library of real-life situations from homes and factories.
This library helps robots plan out long lists of chores without getting confused. They even use a “digital twin” system called Genie Sim 3.0, where robots practice new skills in a virtual world before trying them in the real one.
On top of that, the WITA Omni model helps the robot understand your feelings, allowing it to talk and move like it’s having a true conversation
Scalable deployment
The robots are becoming a part of our daily lives. By using the MEgo system to collect data easily, AGIBOT is making it simpler for these machines to learn how to help us in shops, warehouses, and our own homes.
As these robots start showing up in our lives, the technology feels less like a complicated machine and more like a companion that helps us grow.
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